The Information Technology Act 2000 requires Digital Signature to be used for electronic document verification
purposes. DSC provides authenticity to all electronic documents filed and sent online.
DSC is offered by a certifying body and ensures the security and protection of electronic data from unprecedented infringement. The certifying authority produces one category of the certificate, namely Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate. Previously, there were Class 1 and Class 2 DSCs in the market.
The controller of the Certifying body had revised the Class 2 DSC on November 26, 2020. The body has agreed on discontinuing the issuance of Class 2 DSC effective from January 1, 2021. The current Class 2 DSC holders would have to pay more money to get a new Digital Signature in 2021.
- As discussed above, Class 2 DSC has been discontinued from January 2, 2020.
- The paper-based DSC would not exist from January 1, 2021.
- DSC should be downloaded within thirty days of approval.
- Class 3 DSC would be used in all the departments, and more guidance would be available on it in the future.
- Certifying Authority would issue Class 3 Digital Signature Certificates to applicants on tokens from January 1, 2021.
The Impact of these Changes
- All certifying authorities would be required to download all DSC from the system. Because the system would automatically reject all pending downloads.
Digital Signatures have become very popular in different countries of the world. Countries that accept digital signatures have a monitoring system that regulates the use of these credentials.
Irrespective of the country, the steps of the acquisition remain the same. Digital Certificates can only be purchased from Certifying Authorities in the country.
Certifying Authority (CA) acts as a provider of trust service and is typically a third-party business that is trusted by the country's administration. This CA holds the exclusive right to offer DSC to individuals.
There are some simple steps that a person would need to follow to apply for Digital Signature Certificates.
The steps are as follows:
- Applicants would be required to fill up DSC form and effectively sign it.
- Applicants are then required to provide a photo ID that would help in physical identification. Hence, having a passport size photo is necessary while applying for DSC.
- Identification would also need an individual to provide a passport, identification cards such as Aadhaar or PAN card.
- The physical address, E-mail ID, and phone numbers should also be provided to Certified Authority.
